Existing comment:
(46) Alcohol, death, and the devil, between 1830 and 1840.
Gouache over graphite underdrawing.
Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature
Prints and Photographs Division
LC-DIG-ppmsca-03349 (46)
This image depicting a skeletal Medusa raising a cup of alcohol to the crowd, while the Devil enjoins them to imbibe, is a humorous yet biting commentary on the dangers of alcohol consumption. George Cruikshank (1792-1878), one of the most prolific illustrators and satirists working in England, began his career during the Golden Age of English Satire (1770-1820). In the 1820s, he successfully shifted to book illustration, including a collaboration with Charles Dickens. In 1847 he renounced alcohol and became an enthusiastic supporter of the temperance movement. |